Poila Boishakh is all about the small joys and traditions : Sharmila Tagore

It’s been nearly 14 years since Sharmila Tagore last faced the camera for a Bengali film — but with Puratawn, a Poila Boishakh release, she’s back in a language that remains closest to her heart. In Kolkata for the film’s premiere, the veteran actress sat down with Calcutta Times and spoke about the pull of her mother tongue, working with a new generation of actors and more. “I never really left cinema,” she says. “Even when I wasn’t doing films, I was still engaged — lecturing, working with NGOs, always involved with people. But Bengali cinema... it’s something else. To return after 14 years, and to do so with a film like this — that’s special.”


“We celebrate every festival in our own personal way — that’s what makes them meaningful. Saif celebrates Eid, Kareena celebrates Diwali, and yes, Ganapati too. And wearing new clothes during Durga Puja? That’s still a must in our family,” she smiles. “Poila Boishakh isn’t about grandeur for us — it’s about the connection, the small joys, and traditions we’ve built over time.”
Food, unsurprisingly, remains at the centre of it all. “Goja banano hotoh barite mone ache amar (I remember we used to make the deep fried goja at home),” she recalls fondly. “My mother would prepare an elaborate anno bhog to offer to the almighty. Sweets were always part of the celebration, and they still are.”


“I grew up speaking only Bangla — I didn’t know a word of English until I was 13. During Apur Sansar, I had to switch schools and that’s when I began learning English. But I still write in Bangla, I speak it with friends, and it’s a language that holds so many layers of emotion for me.”
“I find it a little sad that many children today don’t speak or write in Bangla fluently — but I understand that English has become the medium at home and school. Still, I grew up in a space where everyone spoke Bangla, and that foundation stays with you.”


In his exclusive interview with us, Saif Ali Khan spoke of a lullaby his mother sang to him in the hospital when he was recovering from the near-fatal attack. “It was not something she had done since I was a child,” he had said. Tagore smiles when reminded of it. “I used to sing Khoka ghumolo para juralo, Borgi elo deshe… Bulbuli te dhan kheyeche, khajna debo kishey— isn’t that the perfect song to put a little boy to sleep? It’s apt, I feel,” she smiles.

‘I don’t think I’ll be doing any more films’
“Puratawn is a film about a mother and a daughter — about aging, memory, and how families navigate change. Ritu (Rituparna Sengupta), who plays my daughter, is trying to fix everything — but the film shows that not everything in life can be fixed.”
The emotional layers of the film resonated with her. “Many parents live alone today — their children are abroad, or settled in different cities. Joint families are rare. Loneliness is real, and the film reflects that beautifully.”
This film may also be her last. “Yes, I don’t think I’ll be doing any more films,” she says quietly. “Lately, I haven’t been keeping too well. During the shoot, I had to climb stairs, and while I managed, it made me anxious — will I be able to do everything that’s expected on a set? You need to be physically fit to shoot a film, and I’m not sure my health will permit that anymore.”

“Films like Nayak should be back on the big screen”
Recently, Satyajit Ray’s critically acclaimed film Nayak, starring Tagore and Uttam Kumar was re-released on the big screen across India, drawing first-timers from a younger generation and older audiences alike.
“It was brilliant. Watching Nayak on the big screen after 60 years was a fabulous experience,” smiles the actress whose turn as a feisty but compassionate journalist commands a fan following of its own till this day. “I’ve seen the film many times before, but only on a small screen. Getting the chance to watch it in a theatre is rare — you usually have to go to a film festival or wait for a special re-release.”
Tagore went not once, but twice — both times with close friends. “Uttam Babu was absolutely fantastic, and Sumita Sanyal was so good, even in her short role. And I’ll be honest — I even enjoyed watching myself on screen,” she smiles.
For the actress, the re-release was more than nostalgia — it was a reminder of how classic cinema continues to resonate.
“I really hope more films like this are brought back. The impact, the enjoyment — it’s all so much greater when you see a film in a theatre. There’s something magical about it.”
Kolkata sweets are a must – I always take them back for my family. Apart from that, it’s gur, panch-phoron, and kagji lebu that
go into my bag
We celebrate every festival in our own way. Saif celebrates Eid, Kareena celebrates Diwali and Ganapati; wearing new clothes during Durga Puja is a must!
Sharmila Tagore told us, “The Bengali film industry has grown in many ways, especially in the technical aspects and in terms of the budget”
Pix: Anindya Saha